Surface covering



Nov. 18, 1941. E. SCHATZKIN SURFACE COVERING Filed Sept. 25, 1939 INVENTOR Ellioi Selma 5/2611 ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 18, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SURFACE COVERING Elliot Schatzkin, New York, N. Y.

Application September 23, 1939, Serial No. 296,203

3 Claims.

This invention relates to tile or similar coverings for walls and other surfaces.

The general object of the invention is to provide a decorative sheet material consisting of a plurality of segments cut from one or more rigid sheets, the segments being attached to a flexible backing, whereby the assembly of segments and backing maybe applied as a covering to planar, uneven, curved or irregular surfaces.

The rigid sheets may be in the form of glass, tile, plastic or other material adapted to be cut or broken into small segments of desired size and shape.

The backing material preferably consists of a relatively closely woven fabric which may be bent or creased Without breaking and which may be pulled without being subjected to extension or distortion. To impart body to the backing and to provide a compressible characteristic devoid of collapsing or wrinkling action, and to avoid deterioration, the fabric is combined with and its interstices embedded with cork so that in appearance it resembles a thin sheet of cork, whereas in utility it has none of the disadvantages (such as distortion, breakability, etc.) of a thin sheet of cork. Therefore, the disadvantages of using cloth alone or cork alone or both cork and cloth in separate layers, are avoided.

A suitable glue holds the segments to the backing material, the material being in turn glued or otherwise suitably affixed to the wall or surface to be covered.

Other features, making for durability, ease of application and pleasing appearance, will be apparent from the following description of an illustrative, typical form of the invention to be read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a plate of rigid material cut into a plurality of segments;

Fig. 2 illustrates a piece of cloth, woven relatively closely and adapted to be used in the fabrication of a backing member;

Fig. 3, to a magnified scale, illustrates applicants backing material, consisting of a cloth member of the type illustrated in Fig. 2, having cork material embedded in the interstices of the fabric to form a thin resilient sheet substantially all parts of which interlock; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the ensemble attached to a wall to be covered, the different elements being shown without regard to scale.

Considering the drawing, numeral 5 designates a sheet of rigid material, such as tile, glass, marble, or the like, cut into a plurality of segments 6.

While linear fissures 6a are shown, the segments may be of any desired shape, and the grooves, spaces, or interstices between them need not necessarily be regular. The edges of the segments may be rough, smooth, polished or otherwise finished.

Cloth backing member I is of relatively closely woven fabric which is not readily extensible and hence not subject to distortion by tension. Member l is preferably combined with cork material embedded in the interstices thereof and united therewith, whereby the cork serves to protect the fabric from deterioration and the fabric serves to prevent the cork from disintegration. This results in a thin sheet 8 with a much thicker and reinforced body, whichlooks like a sheet of cork but actually has much more desirable characteristics. It may be bent Without breaking. It may be pulled or applied to uneven surfaces without distortion. It has sufficient body to be handled and worked easily. It has the flexibility of cork and is somewhat compressible, but due to the woven cloth therein is not extensible. In fact the cork filler reduces the negligible extensible tendency which closely Woven cloth may of itself have.

In practice the sheet 5 is applied to backing member 8, and secured thereto by a suitable glue or adhesive 9. Sheet 5 is then broken or cut into segments of desired shape with their edges smoothed or polished as desired.

The assembly of segments glued or otherwise attached to the backing member is then applied to wall or surface l0 and secured thereto by a suitable adhesive ll which may or may not be the same as 9. Finally a coating of grout or joint sealer I2 may be applied over the segments filling the interstices between them. This coating may reach to the backing member thus providing additional support for the segments on the backing member. The surface of the segments may be polished to remove excess coating therefrom, thereby leaving the segments in their natural condition.

The assembly may be used not only for covering walls, but as a floor covering, for ornamental I claim:

1. A covering for a surface comprising a sheet of rigid material divided into a plurality of segments, a sheet of non-rigid backing material, an adhesive for securing the rigid material to the backing material, said backing material consisting of flexible fabric having cork material embedded in the interstices of the fabric to form a thin resilient sheet substantially all parts of which interlock, whereby the cork serves to protect the fabric from deterioration, and the fabric serves to prevent the cork from disintegration, said backing material being adapted to be adhered to a surface to be covered.

2. A backing material for securing a plurality of segments adhered thereto by an adhesive to a surface to be covered comprising a fabric of a weave sumciently loose to have material embedded therein, cork filler material pressed into the interstices of and united with the fabric to form a thin resilient sheet substantially all parts of which consist of interlocking cork and fabric strands.

3. A decorative wall covering comprising a backing member of sheet material, hard sheet decorative material divided into a plurality of segments and held to the backing member by an adhesive, said adhesive being adapted to fill spaces between adjacent segments and penetrate the backing member, said backing member consisting of flexible fabric having cork material embedded in the interstices of the fabric and united with interlaced strands thereof to form a thin, resilient and integral sheet all parts of which interlock whereby the backing Will not break or crumble when subjected to distortion.

ELLIOT SCHATZKIN. 

